time frame

American

noun

a period of time during which something has taken or will take place.

We're talking about a time frame of five minutes for the president's visit.

time frame British

noun

the period of time within which certain events are scheduled to occur

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of time frame

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

time frame

Constitution mandates that states deliver fugitives upon proper demand—though it does not provide a time frame for a response—the judge’s hands were tied.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

The short time frame would allow for little public debate of a bill filed this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

On Monday, Carney said the goal of trade talks with Washington "has always been to get the best deal for Canadians, never a deal at any price or on any time frame."

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

The latter typically only makes sense if you plan on paying off the loan within a short time frame.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

“Which is not anyone’s fault. I thought it’d be easier to find a position of interest that can be managed with our time frame before we go back home.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023